Paul Henderson 72 Summit Series Winning Goal

It's 35 years ago today. Where were you when this happened?

Tomorrow's Worst Enemy

Matt's been having a bit of fun these days doing some recording.

You can checkout some of his work here and here.

Here is his biography:

Tomorrow's Worst Enemy started as an singer song write side project back in 2005. For Matt writing songs was just a hobbie, not taken to seriously. The project never had any releases or live shows, but Matt says this stage played a significant role in where the Tomorrow's Worst Enemy has come to today. By 2006 things were looking pretty dry, things just weren't working out. There was a time Matt explained that, "I just wanted to throw myself out (of the band), you know, start things over, it was really frustrating." It wasn't untill VanderKwaak heard some music made by a friend in the band "The Tremulance" that Tomorrow's Worst Enemy took new life. "I got some midi soft where and just started expirementing," Matt explained. "At first I didn't think anything of it, I just made a couple of tracks, and put them on the internet. I was most suprised when I found out people actually like it." Ever since then, Matt has been writing, producing, and programing his own electromelodic flowing instrumental pieces, fit to fall asleep to, releasing his first full length "Halftones and Harmonics" in late 2007. When asked if he thinks the Album will go over well Matt said, "To be honest, I really made the music for my self, I really enjoy listening to it, I actualy listen to it alot, if anyone else ends up liking it, it will just be a bonus." Looking hopfully into the future, Matt truges on labeless in to the unknown with a keyboard and a hard drive full of beats.

The Weight Of The Church

The following is a speech written by my dad for the occasion of my ordination on Sept 16, 2007:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ:

We, the speakers are only a link in the chain of people God uses to encourage you on your journey through life. It's the Spirit of God who wishes fellowship with you. Life lasts only a short time when we are allowed to become old and look back.

The question we are confronted with is simple. "What is life all about?"

God connected with us in the garden of Eden and will live with us again in the new heaven and Earth. In the meantime we have "God with us" through Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. God looks for us and wants us to reach out to him. We call on the name of Jesus; have mercy on us. We need thee every hour.

The message is the task of all of us. We are the witnesses of this glorious gospel. It's amazing when we live in the faith how life can take its twists and turns.

Let me tell you a story. The story was played out and created in the year 1967. It was the centennial 100 year celebration of Canada. There are 3 main players in the story. One was 3 years old the 2nd was 18 years old and the third 36 years old. The Terrace Christian Reformed Church council appointed a centennial committee with the task of creating some ideas how we as a church could help celebrate Canada's 100 year anniversary. It should help bring the gospel, remember the pioneers who came before us, and serve the public.

One member of the committee was George Hiemstra, who's son, John Heimstra is Professor at King's College in Edmonton. He came up with the idea to restore an old broken pioneer church building along the Skeena river in a small settlement about 12 miles east of Terrace. The 2nd person of the committee who was a carpenter builder by trade was to give his assessment if the old building could be restored. It was decided to build a replica or a smaller scale and place it on Highway 16 as a roadside chapel. A suitable place was provided by pioneers of this settlement called "Usk." Then the carpenter was put in charge of building this chapel beside his house in such a way it could be transfered by truck to Usk.

The congregation helped with funds and labour and soon the little "way side chapel" was ready to be transferred to Usk. The carpenter had to jack up the chapel so a truck would fit under it, to drive over the Skeena bridge to Usk. While the carpenter was busy jacking up the chapel his 3 year old son was running around watching Daddy. At one point Dad had jacked up the building with a hydraulic jack and was busy putting a short stump of a log under it to hold it up. Then unexpectedly the building came down while the wood block was almost in place.

Dad has his hands around the round wooden block with both his left and right hand to push it in place. He managed to pull his right thumb out, but his left thumb got stuck between the building and wood stump. A pulsating pain almost knocked Dad out. Then he saw what had happened. His 3 year old son anxious to help his Dad had taken the bar of the jack and used it to turn the valve open of the hydraulic jack and down came the church on top of his thumb. Dad couldn't move. If he did he may break the bone. There was nobody else around so he decided to scream as hard as he could then someone may hear him. Sure enough. Here come his 18 year old neighbor boy running out of his house, beside the chapel. What happened? What is the problem? The carpenter, while feeling the excruciating pain explained pick up the bar. Put the end on the valve and turn clockwise tight, then jack up the building. Amazing, it worked. Dad pulled out his thumb. It was flat as you can imagine.

The reason I tell you this story is because the 3 year old boy is our ordained Pastor Michael VanderKwaak. The 18 year old boy is Dr. Martin Contant and the 36 year old man was Dad, me.

Here history repeats itself in a different form. Dr. Contant took the church off my thumb when he was 18. Now he lays the church on the 3 year old son who is the Daddy of 4 children and the Pastor of Heartland Fellowship.

What is so wonderful about this story?

It's amazing how the Lord's Spirit is faithful through all these years. All of us are getting older and what a deep down wonderful satisfied feeling we have when we have served our Lord and Savior in the place where he has put us and we have deep down satisfied memories. Then when we look back our soul found the answer to the question, "What is all the hassle? What is life all about?"

It's learning to serve our risen Lord and Savior to give Him the glory. He pleads for us to the Father and gives us grace to carry on in faith and trust. Michael, or Rev. VanderKwaak remember the story of the church. There will be glorious times but also excruciating pains of sadness when or Father in Heaven in his wisdom tries out your faith and courage. Be patient. May the trust given to you never be broken. May the grace of our Lord bless all of you in Heartland Church. Support your leaders, because they have to give account to the King of the Church. May love and faithfulness be your way of life and the joy of salvation give you rest and peace.

The Usk Wayside chapel is still standing along Highway 16, 12 miles east of Terrace. Through all these 41 years, thousands of people have visited it and where remains the presence of our Lord in a special way.

The three persons present who were present in 1967 are the same ones who are present on Sept 16, 2007.

Except all 3 are 41 years older. May we all be faithful and carry on with the work of the Lord and through it all give Him the glory.

Thank you.

Len VanderKwaak

Building A House In San Quitin

The main purpose in coming to San Quitin, was to build a house for an Oaxacan family. We traveled with StoneyCreek and together with IDT we built a house. Gord Taylor, from IDT spent the week with our team and not only helped us build the house, but taught us about the area and the bigger mission picture. Gord is fasinating. Bring up any topic from Harley's to cooking to web design, and Gord can talk about it for hours.

Oaxacan Indians as Baja Farmers

Let's say your a farmer in California and you need cheap labor, who do you hire? You hire a Mexican worker of course. Now let's say your a farmer on the Baja of Mexico and you need cheap labor, who do you hire? You hire an Oaxacan Indian of course. But what a minute, who are they?

The Oaxacan Indians come from the most southern part of Mexico. They make up many of the farm workers up and down the Baja. The farmers have recruited them with the promise of good wages and good opportunity. Since people are very poor in Oaxaca, they are quite excited for the opportunity. They make the long trip with their family and the farmer drops them off and says good luck. They are left to fend for themselves. So, they look around and notice a junk pile made up of farmer garbage - old pipes, old trucks, left over plastic etc. So, they begin to make for themselves a shelter.

Heartland youth visited one of the camps this summer. Here is a video clip of what we saw.